Monday, July 22, 2013

Marie Antoinette is an
overindulgent, punk rock portrait of an iconic princess as well as a beautiful
portrayal of a naïve and misunderstood young woman. Succeeding in the creation
of a film that effectively tells either of those tales is a tough enough
outing, let alone a film that flows between the two extremes. Through the use
of glamorous and excessive post-punk aesthetic (in style/music) along with an
auteurist style of purposefully nonchalant story telling, Sofia Coppola creates
an intriguing view into the inner workings of a fascinating historical figure.

The story itself is simple enough;
a beautiful adolescent woman is strategically married off to a foreign land.
From that point the viewer watches as her life unfolds. The moment Kirsten
Dunst’s character, Marie Antoinette, is stripped of the artifice of her
Austrian nature we watch as she is molded and shaped into the persona that
would eventually damn her and the royalty that made her. One of the reasons
that the film shines is that it sweeps through important historical events to
linger on the ostensibly mundane. This could be considered one of Sofia
Coppola’s auteurist stamps, leaving the viewer to merely experience the lives
of her subjects. In the end it’s not simply the momentous events that define
life, but the moments in between.

The story is grounded in the
turmoil behind a displaced girl attempting to remain Austrian and also to
assimilate to her new role as the queen of France. The viewer watches as she
and her new husband Louis XVI played by Jason Schwartzman, both mere children,
are forced to assume the roles of adults. The pressure of presenting France
with an heir is overwhelming and the constant cloud of whispers that follows
her is daunting. The other side of the story focuses upon the youthful nature
of Antoinette. There are lavish parties and numerous situations that highlight
her playful curiosity that is the embodiment of youth.

Truly this film stands on its own
as a grandiosely cinematic period piece that remains modern while not getting
completely lost in its modernity. Sofia Coppola’s tendency toward letting
character emerge through simplicity of dialogue and situation combined with the
gorgeous settings (actually shot on the grounds of Versailles) and Lance
Acord’s keen and deliberate eye for brilliant light and shimmering yet simple
camera work creates a world in which to become lost. Most every aspect of this
film shines in its own right. The soundtrack is stunning, pitting the glitz and
glam of the eighties new wave and post-punk against the cinematic and symphonic
modern soundscapes of Aphex Twin and others, mirroring the two separate stories
being told simultaneously. This also creates an interesting comparison to
youthful rebellion throughout somewhat similar generations (the excessive
eighties to name one).

In addition to the aforementioned
reasons, the final reason I’d ‘love to turn you on’ to Marie Antoinette
is Kirsten Dunst, who excels in the role of the doomed queen. Challenged with
playing a character all the way from the age of 14 to 37 (and one who went
through more than her fair share in such a short time) Dunst remains warm and
relatable, yet fresh and unpredictable. While I wouldn’t call this her defining
moment, in this film, as well as Coppola’s Virgin Suicides (1999), I see
glimpses of the woman who is stunning in Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia
(2011). So make up your own mind, you’ve heard whispered rumors about the film
and now you’ve heard my own proclamation, take the journey, go to the parties
and sit through the stylized whimsy that is this unique period piece.